1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a model railroad track having a track bed which simulates, e.g., a superstructure which is provided with a ballast bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Track sections for model railroads usually comprise an integral grate made of injection-molded plastic in a shape which corresponds to a track grate. The rails are connected to the sleepers or ties by extensions, which are integral with the sleepers or ties and have the shape of rail clips with nails, and the rails cover the webs which interconnect the sleepers or ties of the grate. The rails are provided at their ends with coupling elements, which can be interfitted so as to interconnect the tract grate sections. In that case the track sections consisting of straight and curved track sections and of switches or points and crossings can be assembled to form the desired track systems, which are usually secured to a plate in order to avoid an undesired shifting.
In an effort to comply with the desire of model railroaders for permanent ways which are as lifelike as possible, the manufacturers have developed tracks which are of the kind described first hereinbefore. But in the known tracks the track grates are usually firmly and permanently connected to the track bed which simulates the superstructure so that track sections provided with a track bed are joined and laid just as track sections provided having no track bed. The known track sections provided with a track bed can be installed only in a prescribed manner into a track system so that alterations in the installation and modifications from a predetermined track layout are possible only with restrictions. Because the several track elements provided with a track bed can be used only as prescribed and do not permit alterations, suitable prefabricated track elements must be available when a variation of the layout or a subsequent alteration is desired. As a result, the model railroader is hampered when he desires to provide individual and modified track layouts unless a large number of different track elements with and without a track bed are at his disposal.